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Pakistani Army to ask Musharraf to resign in a week: Report

by Sanjay Jha | August 9, 2008 at 12:17 am

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Beleagured President of Pakistan doesn't have any support coming from any quarter. His last hope was hinging on the Army on whose support he ruled the country for many years. But it appears that Army has withdrawn its support from Musharraf and have asked him to resign. Pakistan's ruling coliation have decided to bring impeachment against President Musharraf.

Pakistan's Army is to ask the country's embattled President Pervez Musharraf to relinquish office in a week's time as its top brass would not want him to be impeached, a news report said today. Quoting a senior official from the ruling government coalition partner, the Pakistan's People's Party, 'The Daily Telegraph' said that Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Kiyani has already "whispered in Musharraf's ear that it is time to leave".

"Over the next few days they will make it clear to him (Musharraf) that a protracted battle (against impeachment) is not in Pakistan's interests," the unnamed official claimed. One of the main arbiters of power in Pakistan, the Army has already publicly declared that the military would take a "neutral" stand on the country's domestic politics.

"The Army is neutral but is expecting him to resign. It will then influence his honourable safe passage as the Army's senior leadership would not want him to be punished," a former military aide to the President told the British daily.